‘Battle Studies’ more like a study of mediocrity

For all the John Mayer fans out there, you’re not going to like this review. I’ve loved his music for the past eight years. Never have I seen an artist do a deliberate 180 degrees turn from what worked and follow with a passing waste of ten bucks. I feel robbed by Mayer’s fourth studio album “Battle Studies” (well fifth if you include the Trio).
“Continuum” and “Try!” were such winning formulas, along with a classis live album in “Where the Light Is,” but Mayer and Columbia Records decided this wasn’t working I guess. I don’t know why they thought that.
Once again, John Mayer collaborated with two greats: bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan. However, this is definitely not the style of play that Palladino, Jordan, and Mayer should do, especially when put up next to “Try!.”
Right off the bat, the collective John Mayer Nation held its breath. The first single “Who Says” is an infectious tune that offers little in substance once you really set down and listen to it. It should have been a sign that this was a different path than what most fans wanted.
When the album dropped, I put it in, and heard the first song “Heartbreak Warfare.” While I hoped for a gritty, soulful ballad that continued this path from “Continuum,” I instead received a song designed for radio play, engineered to bring in cash and guarantee John Mayer being labeled as a bit of a sell-out to true fans.
I paused midway through the song and did not listen to the CD again for the rest of the day. I was that disgusted with his ideas on how to play music. The interesting first few chords immediately turned me off to who I once considered my guitar idol, who had played alongside B.B. King and Clapton and received rave reviews. A bright spot, but also intriguing, is Mayer sounding a bit disinterested while he sings.
“All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye” might be one of the most annoying songs I’ve ever heard, and he sounds strained during it. “Half of My Heart,” which features Taylor Swift for all of two seconds it seems like, was a bit of bright light. However, it was once again obvious that this must be the third single planned.
After hearing “Who Says,” one must endure a song reeking of “this is why I broke up with Jennifer Aniston.” “Perfectly Lonely” starts off well but gets repetitive and dull soon enough. The worst song on the album is “Assassin.” Just listening to it now makes me want to poke my eardrums with a pointy instrument.
There’s a decent cover of “Crossroads” that follows, and “War of My Life” has a few nice patches, along with a nice hook. I do love hearing Mayer play a variety of tempos and techniques on his Stratocaster, but the lyrics are lacking in “Edge of Desire.” Furthermore, the backing vocals are predominant this album. “Do You Know Me” does nothing for me, and Mayer continues to invent and play around with sound. This is aggravating. The end with “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” sounds like a desperate plea from a solitary man at some places, but then, it can be very straight to the point and remind the listener that the John Mayer who tweets, shreds on his guitar, and puts deep meaning into what he writes is still there. Barely.
It gets 2 and a half Bear Claws. This is due to John Mayer still showing he can play guitar than you ever will, and the song “Friends, Lovers, or Nothing” let me finish the album with a smile.
In essence, try harder John. My ears deserve better. Your fans deserve better. You owe it to yourself to play better than this.